This Old World, Is A New World
by BunniExpressive
Summary: Dawn is older, stronger, harder and she is looking for a way out. With some tough times behind her and a lot in front, can anyone save this fallen angel? Dawn/Spike mostly.
1. Intro 1

This Old World Is A New World:

Setting:

Dawn is 21 and has returned to North America after travelling all over Europe with Buffy, who has thrown herself so far into her work she has been destroying herself and Dawn. Dawn growing up in a word of unsure homes and various guys exploiting her age and loneliness, she is a mess, and it all hits her heart as she finds old alliances thriving.

Inspired by the Muse song 'In Your World'.

I own no characters or supernatural beliefs based in the Buffyverse or Angelverse. I own the plot.

Please review, add, anything.

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CHAPTER ONE, So This Is It, Huh? :

Dawn pushed her bag higher up on her arm so it rested in the crook of her elbow. She looked around the sorry excuse for a major airport, but she guessed it was the best they could do. She heard the city still haven't recovered after the "natural disaster" that over took LA only a few years ago. She put her mp3 player on high as she listened to some of her favorite rock tunes; she stumbled her way through the dingy halls that felt claustrophobic to her. This was turning out to be a bad idea. But she had nowhere else to go. After telling Buffy she wanted to leave Buffy only threw a wad of money at her and a Council credit card and told her to have fun, with that deadly slayer gleam in her eyes. Dawn gladly left; this was her chance, you way out of this hell she had been living. She didn't know why Buffy was doing this to her. She figured only Buffy was in Buffy's head. She had forgotten she had a younger sister coming into adulthood, who needed support and stability. It's not like any of the other scoobies were about to step on her toes and intervene, so there Dawn was stuck being the drag along toy of the century for the world's most messed up slayer. Minus the ones that were actually crazy.

Dawn's eyes fluttered as she held back all the tears she refused to let fall these days. She had enough for any situation, for countless people, too bad they weren't a sharing item. She reflected on all the parties she attended, it was Europe, she was alone, and there was booze and boys and sometimes girls. BY the end of the night she'd be curled up on the bed, alone again, aching and dirty in more ways than one.

So LA…she could handle it. She had enough money and Giles promised to keep her funded for a place to live, but that was the most he was able to get. It was plenty it was a god send. She reached the front doors and it was all becoming so real. She was back in North American, she was alone….she had money, and a head full of problems. Where would she go?

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Sorry this is short, it's more like...a doorway into Dawn's mindset coming back to the States. Alot more chapters and alot of angsty and raunchyness to ensue. Stay tuned. :P Very adult oriented this one is. More coming, hopefully on a quick and regular basis. :P


	2. A Warm Place 2

Please note: I own nothing except my plot.

Also my stories contain a lot of meat, and don't play into child born fantasies I had when the show first aired lol. I like the angst and the dirt, and sometimes fluff is nice, but it's not real and that's what I try for. Not every chapter or paragraph is exciting but it fills the story with everything it needs. This is the type of writing I enjoy reading and I hope you enjoy reading it as well.

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Dawn skimmed the paper as she sat in the farthest booth from the door and the windows. She scanned the patrons before settling into her seat. She had been awake for 18 hours since her direct flight of another 18 hours. Her eyes burned but she refused to sleep, she wasn't about to sleep in any hotel in this part of town or rent the first she could find. This was about starting over; it had to be up standing in the least. Or very high up off the ground. She rubbed her eyes as she read the renting section but was unimpressed with what she saw.

"Honey, can I get you another else? Food perhaps, all that coffee alone ain't gonna do a body any good." She looked so concerned for Dawn. Dawn sighed and sat the newspaper down. "Sure…anything would be good, but more coffee please." She gave her best smile though it had been a while since she had given one of comfort. Not her own but for this woman who saw a young dirty gloomy eyed girl with so much potential wasting away. She assumed Dawn was homeless and helpless……the first one was true at the moment, but she was far from helpless.

Dawn had circled a couple of places to check out farther into the part of nice town that remained, but it was awfully close to the bad part. She figured she couldn't be overly picky and if worst came to worst she could always just move. It wasn't on her dime, she didn't care.

"Oh moving into town, honey?"

"Thinking about it. Used to live in a nearby town but moved away. I kind of miss the place." She licked her lips at the food and started pulling the big breakfast plate towards her and the coffee, when the waitress sighed.

"Things around here are tough, those are nice though."

Dawn looked up at the woman confused. "Oh the places you circled, decent, seems to be one of the few places that are under control." She nodded and smiled as she started walking away but stopped and turned. Feeling she had something else to say she chuckled. "You know, the police won't go near the area…I don't know what keeps it so decent." She shook her head and carried on with the other patrons.

Dawn cut into the sunny side up egg folded in half, and dipped a piece of bacon into it. Oh god how she missed the protein. She vowed never to touch NutraGrain Power Bars again. She kept staring at the ads she had circled. She go there as soon as she finished eating. It didn't seem to be that far away.

The sun was falling when she finally found the block with the last building. The first one had been a bust, the landlord kept eyeing her chest and she was not about to put herself in any situations that let that man act upon his thoughts. She sighed looking up and down the street. There were a few bodies roaming, no threats, she whispered to herself. She could feel it. Though there was danger she felt the safest here. Something was calling to her, she just couldn't place it. As she started walking up to the front doors a young man jumped in front of Dawn, she instantly grabbed his shoulder and was ready to throw him back when he hollered.

"Hey, geez baby, was just gonna invite you to a party tonight!" A few of his flyers went flying off of the pile as he tried pulling away from Dawn.

She released him and took in a deep breath. "Sorry, shouldn't sneak up on a girl like that."

"I'll remember that next time." He smirked but it wasn't in a 'I want to be in your pants way'. Dawn took a flyer from the top of the pile and looked over it. "Where is this?"

"Oh, not from around here. I thought I could tell, your voice…isn't typical Cali." He snorted and brushed his hair back, trying to hold onto the pile of papers. "But yeah it's about 5 blocks straight down there, there will be quite a beat playing, you can't miss it. A whole warehouse full of pumping bodies and music. I would hate to see a new body to LA miss out on it. Hell of a welcome party." He bopped his head trying to be cool in her presence. She smirked, "Well I'll think about it. 1 AM huh."

"Yeah, I'll look for you regardless."

"Bye."

"Ciao Bella." He winked and skipped down the street, passing flyers to unsuspecting bodies chatting their way down the street.

Dawn watched him go, and chuckled at his goodbye. How stupid….he thought she was from Italy...weird.

She walked up to the door and found it locked, not locked secured. There was a buzz in panel and a security button. She rang it twice and an older, well built man came to the door smiling yet his eyes held a grim tale.

"Hello miss, can I help you?"

"Hi, I was looking at this ad here, and wanted to check it out?" Dawn put on her best girlie deer eyes and softened her body movements. She bit her lip and held the paper out, acting as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Oh right, sure. Come on in. No one has rented it yet, that I know of. Let me get the manager down here. She's real nice though I don't know how she'll take to you…" He looked her up and down and took in her messy appearance.

"Oh..." She laughed. "I just had an 18 plus hour flight and I have been up another 18 hours. Disheveled is my first name now."

"Ohh promotion from second name I take it. Congrats Disheveled." He chuckled kindly. He wasn't interested in her body or innocence. She was just another girl in his eyes and Dawn was okay with that. He was old enough to be her dad, and Dawn felt as if she could learn to trust him. If she got this place….she may need to try to develop a friendship with this man.

"Donnie? Hi, Steve here. A young lady is here very interested in the suite on the 16th floor. What would you like me to do? Show her? You sure….? Alright then. Okay we'll meet you up there." He walked back over and smiled happily. "Donnie is busy at the moment but she says I can take you up there, show you around and she'll be with us as soon as she can."

"Great."

The suite was larger than she thought, one half of the living room was raised three steps up, and it looked out over the decent remaining part of LA. Course this was only half way up the build and some parts were blocked but it was an outstanding view. Falling out the window would be kind of painful and the end of her life but she didn't have to worry about…many enemies lunging at her through the windows. She ran her hands along the black sleek granite top of the kitchen counters, the stainless steel appliances called to her. She was in a trace as she walked down the hall to the bedrooms. There were two, both were huge. The master was an apartment in it's self, it was perfect for romping fun. She smirked as she walking into the crystal decorated bathroom. Stainless steel everything with a crystal walk in shower, a full clawed porcelain bathtub, double sinks, huge closest that walked in and adjoined with the bedroom itself. She hugged herself smiling pleasantly surprised with this find and the low price for a monthly rate. She came back to reality and found Steve standing by the bedroom door, leaning on the jam and smiling at the room. "Like?"

"Hell yes. It's beautiful." She narrowed her eyes and straightened her body to show she wasn't playing games. "Why's it so cheap?"

He shrugged and sighed heavily. "No one wants to rent out here, the calm scares them after...what happened. And….something happened here. Someone died, tends to put damper on the renters."

Dawn scoffed. "Everyone is so delicate." She mumbled as she walked to the huge windows, this place would be so perfect for her. She could hunt farther away from home, that way they wouldn't be so easily drawn to her apartment. She could extent the ring of peace as she heard some people refer to it as.

A small woman came huffing and adjusting her clothes as she came into the bedroom, shoving past Steve. "Hello! I'm Donnie, the complex manager, and you musts be the young lady I heard was interested in this place?"

"Sure am. I'm Dawn….Summers." That name felt so wrong, Dawn thought. She smiled at her place near the windows.

"Sorry I kept you waiting, was handling paper work and then couldn't find my suit." She chuckled in high pitch tone which bothered Dawn's ears but she covered her discomfort easily. She looked Dawn over and sighed in a very adult to child tone. "Listen, I don't usually rent to youngsters. Let alone, you look…."

Steve coughed and frowned as Donnie looked back at him. "Are you serious about this place? I get a lot of day dreamers and frankly in this market it's getting to be torture watching big eyed beauties like yourself pass through here with nothing but a hope. No offence."

Dawn heard Steve sigh in disapproval. I smiled at Donnie. "I'm not offended, I appreciate your honestly. Truth be told I just got done with a very long, long flight and an even longer hunt for a place to live. I have a phobia of hotels and so I figured might as well start looking. I doubt you would let me just take the place, so I brought a cash deposit, cleaning security and a credit card you are welcome to check on for further payments. My funds are coming from my very rich father in Europe, where I just returned from. I used to live in California….farther north." Her eye twitched when she covered up the part about coming from the north. Sunnydale was the past, a hell of a history, a hell….."All I need is a chance, and trust me I don't look like this normally. I'm not trouble, that's why I came here, heard it was the quietest place in the city." She gave her biggest watery eyes as she could, to the both of them.

"Listen doll, you seem like a nice girl and I can't say no to good money. As long as it doesn't have blood on it, I'll take it. And I WILL be running a credit check on you. One bad mark and I will revoke all of this. Laws are different around here now, don't think I won't." She pointed a wrinkling finger at Dawn and winked.

"Thank you so much."

Steve smiled and gave a chuckle as Donnie retreated. "That was quick, and she must really like you Dawn. She never says yes on the second try.

"Must be fate." She turned and looked out at the horizon, it was morning…it was a morning that was looking up.

"I'll get keys and everything prepared downstairs, come by whenever you are ready. Oh there's a cot in the closet, sometimes I come up here to sleep when it's quiet, I like the view. Lucky girl."

"Thanks." She hugged herself and turned back to the outside world. She heard the doors quiet click closed behind her, her uneasy growing. Something was here for sure, but it was definitely the least dangerous place of all. She couldn't place it but whatever was roaming those streets drove her to old habits.

* * *

One Month Later:

* * *

Dawn sat on her sofa, feet up on the arm rest. The tight leather of her pants creaking with each small movement. She ran her hands back through her hair as she stared at the phone, waiting…always waiting.

Ring…ring.

"Hello?" Dawn tried saying calmly but new her excitement came out in a squeak at the end of the word.

"Dawnie, baby hey! Party tonight, you remember that place the first night…the warehouse? Place is set up again, we're gonna rock it. Can I expect your godly presence?" His voice was fuzzy and distant, the sounds of buses were clearly screaming behind him. A public phone…as usual.

"You bet chief."

"Great, 1am baby."

"See you there." She hung up the phone and jumped up. She needed a party, she needed her fix. To dance, to drink, to be perfectly dead inside for a night. To rub against the rest of the others trying for the same thing. But she had to do it first. She had to go out, hunt the nasties and make them hurt forever existing.

She tucked a couple stakes up her sleeves, making sure no skin was being rubbed. She slid a dagger into her boot and made sure her silver cross choker was safely attached all around. She pulled her long dark hair out from under her cropped leather jacket and tightened her belt. Being satisfied with her outfit for both hunting and partying she left, hiding the key on the door frame down the hall. She had too many chances to lose the key, it was safer up here.

She made her way downstairs and out the door with a quick smile to Steve. She stalked the street down to where the street lights were randomly out. Less and less people were walking down here, "Out of the safety circle I guess." She clicked her tongue on the top of her mouth as she decided to walk into the alley nearest, hopefully someone…something saw here. She shifted her sleeves, relieving some of the discomfort against her forearms. She felt it. That presence…..the one she always felt so near, but she could never caress. It was being an obsession. She had been hunting these streets for a month now and she was always out of reach, never finding that familiar strength, she didn't know what it was. A demon, energy, her long lost key companion. She didn't know, but it called her and she would find one day. She turned in the direction of it. A dark alleyway, a small fire was to the right, huddled a couple homeless people, who probably wouldn't be around the next time she passed up. Her pace quickened as she felt it drifting away again. Her breathing quickened, it was her drug, her life, it was leaving, something so close called to her but it was just teasing her again.

"Ah come on now, nothing to be afraid of here sweet thing." A vampire growled as he stepped out of the shadow, saying his words right as she passed by. Balls for him he took her heart pounding and quick breath for fear not need. She slowed down 'til she stopped and could turn to him. Two more shadowed him, licking their fangs. She smirked, they were young. Not brand new but they still had that 'I don't know what I'm doing' shine to them.

She looked at him a deadly glare. She ran her hand across her stomach. "You wanna protect me?"

"Hardly, not a sweet thing like you. As you aren't screaming and running you must know what we are. But your heart gives your fear up." He started walking towards her. Mistake.

Dawn slid one of the stakes slid down into her hand, it remained unseen. "Been looking for a good kill, though you three won't give it to me, it at least will warm up but for some serious evil lurking these alleys."

The lead vampire growled and bared his fangs. "Slayer!"

Dawn burst out laughing. "Fuck no!" She spun and the bottom of her boot connected with his jaw. A resounding crunch echoed down the alley drawing the attention of other stalking creatures. The vampire fell back, holding his face. The other two…obviously fledglings of the lead dumb ass charged. She bent to one knee and stood at the last second, they went flying over her small frame. Both landing on their faces, they recovered quickly.

She laughed as she focused on the lead who glared at the other two. Okay so daddy was in charge, he wanted this all to himself. So shed give it to him. He climbed to his feet. Dawn felt the calming warmth fill her body as her muscled relaxed from daily woos. The hunter, the killer took control of her. Her limbs moved in rhyme with the vamp's attacks. He never managed to touch her. She laughed from joy as she back handed the vamp then brought his face down into her knee. His fang pierced her leather, burying into her leg, she hissed but it wasn't a bad pain, she craved the pain of the fight. She threw the vamp back on the ground that was wounded, and tried. His boys growled behind them, wanting to attack, daddy's control was dwindling. He stared up at Dawn who stood over him so confidently. "KILL HER!"

Dawn slipped the other stake from her sleeve and held it out behind her as the vamps changed. One missed and tumbled past while the left one caught the stake, right in the heart. His dust exploded all over them. Sending daddy vamp into a rage. He grabbed her leg and pulled her onto the ground. Her head hit the cement with a thick wet sound. Her vision blurred. Was this it? The end? Her body screamed no, but her mind was weak. She felt the leader crawling up her body, a cackle slowly rising from his throat as best it could with a crushed nose and damaged throat. The fledgling had recovered and was standing over them. She stilled her body completely and breathed in the rancid air trapped in the alley. The sour scent reawakened her killer. She grabbed the fledglings' ankles and twisted her body, getting out from under the leader. She shot her legs back and shoved the vampire away. She pulled the younger one down and jumped to her feet. Still one stake in her hand she threw it down at the fledgling. He screamed as his dust decorated her boots. The daddy vampire climbed to his feet, pissed and ready to end this. So he was stronger than she thought. Wasn't strong enough. She was playing with her food.

Dawn wiped the blood from her lip and wagged her hand towards him. "After this baby? It's all mine for the taking?" She licked the blood from her hand, sneering at him. "You know, Who's Your Daddy?, seems an appropriate line here." She licked the air and begged him to charge her. As he did, she lowered her body and prepared to launch at him. A strong arm wrapped around her and threw her back into the wall. She was fine, jarred and caught off guard. When she went to lunge at whoever attacked her she was stopped under his gaze.

"Angel?"

Angel grabbed the daddy vampire and staked him with his other hand. He growled at the pile of dust. "Dawn." He adjusted his coat.

"Angelus?" Her hands tightened into fists.

"No, Angel here, all souled and what not." He looked at the girl, quite a lot shorter than himself, taller than Buffy but still petite. "Mind telling me what the hell you're doing? And alone doing it?"

She laughed; it wasn't a pleasant laugh at all. "You know what I'm doing." She walked over and picked up her stakes, stuffing them back into her sleeves, she kept a careful eye on the vampire.

"How? Did you get called?" Angel clasped his hands together.

Dawn's eyes were filled with nothing but pain and that pain was turning into hatred. "No, Angel, I didn't get called." She hissed as she walked past him and started towards the main drag of road.

"What are you then?"

Dawn stopped at that. No one had ever asked her that directly. Most assumed she was a slayer, but she was so much older than that. So much more natural than that. She looked over her shoulder and Angel saw the hurt girl behind the shattered glass eyes. "I don't know Angel."

"Need help?"

"No." She then took to running away. Angel watched her retreat. Illyria stepped out of the shadows and looked at the blood splatter on the ground.

"Who was that?"

"A girl I once knew." He watched her form get smaller and smaller until she suddenly turned a corner.

"Once knew?" Illyria followed the girl's movements. "That….thing is not a girl."

Angel turned to Illyria suddenly, anxious. "What?"

"She is glowing, she is strong, and she is breaking apart. The energy cannot be contained. Reminds me of myself.…when I was born again. Carnal powers are in play with that one. Who is it?"

"Buffy's baby sister."

Illyria raised her eyebrows and titled her head towards Angel, her eyes contemplative but she chose to remain silent. She had learned a lot about the Sunnydale team. Surprised as one may be Angel and Spike both talked quite a lot in their sleep in the last few years. She felt she had known them all, good and bad. 'Buffy's baby sister' was Dawn, the underage magical key being. Spike's charge in life, her protector. Now the girl had powers and was spinning out of control. Angel saw it, she saw it…would they tell Spike.

"Come on, I've had enough for one night." The walk home was silent.


	3. Heat of the Crowd 3

This chapter contains alot and it moves fast. Normally I wouldn't do this but for me this isn't what I wanna write about, so I'm skipping over it while trying to give as best a story as I can. Further chapters are gonna be more intimate and detailed and focusing on specific things.

Before I go any further I wanted to mention main emotional plot is : Dawn is really messed up from her life the last couple of years. And Spike will help her find herself again and grow into who she is suppose to be. (I made Dawn be able to sense Spike because they were always so close and all those key powers are giving her weird little abilities. :P mwhahaha)

Adventure plot: Dawn's magical key energy hasa been building since her creation, in the last couple of years it's been growing to an uncontrolable rate. If you noticed from the last chapter Illyria can sense this. So everyone is gonna be trying to help Dawn survive these changes, because if something isn't done she could die.

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Dawn had run as far as her legs would carry her she was near the party but she had to calm down. No one was supposed to know her. She had heard Angel had left town, he had a 'falling out' pun intended with LA and had left for less rumbled horizons. Surprise. That had to be the tugging in her gut, something so close to her, it was him. But she wasn't close to him, as much as her memories said so she knew they were lies; that they never happened. That tugging feeling remained, but it was stronger now. She hoped it wasn't him, she didn't think he followed her. She couldn't handle that right now. Not only could no one know she existed, she didn't need anyone knowing where she lived.

She ran her hands back through her hair, then down her face coming away from blood from her mouth, she licked her lips and sighed gratefully as the blood stopped coming. She had managed to not end up a horrible mess after that fight, which she drew out longer than needed. She wiped the dirt and rock fragments from her clothes and climbed to her feet, still feeling weak she had to get inside. She needed the warmth of their dancing bodies, the intoxication and the desire to move as one creature with the crowd.

"Dawnie!" Robert yelled as she ran over through a crowd of neon colored party goers. "Hey, you're earlier and it seems so is everyone else." He shouted over the bass of the music pumping it's rhyme through every surface. "Wanna dance? Or are you okay?" He pulled her chin up, looking at the bruise forming by her eye.

"I'm good, doors are very bad to me these days." She laughed and flagged the bartender down for a whiskey.

"Woow, going kinda hard kinda fast there, baby doll?"

"Not really, it's relaxing."

He threw his hands up and laughed. "Whatever you say. Dance or no?"

"Later, you have my card."

"Gotcha, toodles!" He went flying back out into the packed crowd. Dawn watched him retreat as she turned back to grab up her drink before anyone else did, or put something in it. Though it wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to her tonight. Lecture from brooding vampire kinda was at the top of her list right now. That familiar feeling tugged at her central gut again. She looked around and couldn't see anyone, or anything out of the ordinary. There was…no doubt though, the thing she chased was here. Did it feel it too….she wondered as she jumped down from the stool and started walking through the groups of people, looking for a decent spot to sit to watch the going ons. AS she tried going over the stairs to the upper level, Robert grabbed her arm and stole her drink. He tipped it to her mouth and giggled, in the only manly way Dawn had ever heard from someone.

"Drink it all up, cuz you are dancing with me and those boys over there, right now!" She begrudgingly let herself be pulled over to the guys in waiting. Built like athletes Dawn shivered knowing she could take them all and at once. And none would survive the first five minutes of her fists flying and her kicks slamming into their soft fleshy limbs. She pulled the blondest one closest and started swaying with him; he was bashful and new to this. She wasn't gonna let him do anything she didn't want to, she was in control but it still felt good to feel him surrounding her, that comfort was always welcome even as short as it usually was. The beat picked up and so did their movements, Dawn slowly slipped into the sexy vixen she had portrayed one too many times at clubs, drawing attention, scaring it away, living and breathing it. She just loved the music; she couldn't help what her body did to display it.

Spike took another swing of his beer as she scanned the crowd; he felt this tug of something. It was old, he had to know it but it was so distant his mind wasn't letting him figure it out. An old enemy, friend, something was always around…just around the corner. His eyes played over the bodies drinking, snorting, rubbing, falling, sleeping, moving to only what he could only assume was a 'dance'. "Bloody Americans and their 21st century." He mumbled as he drank an all too warm swing of beer. The unpleasant taste didn't distract him enough, so as his gaze passed the center of the dance circle, he saw her. Her movements, her eyes, her mouth, her expressions, he felt her. The connection fired alive.

Dawn swallowed a hard intake of air as she danced back against her hunk of the evening. Her body hummed but it was the fight mood kind of humming not the I'm so happy and drunk hum of things that had usually set in by now. She threw her head from side to side, letting her hands travel over her own body, as she pressed back into her guy, she let her body rub against his, letting her palms feel the extent of the muscles in his legs, his abs, his oh so prevalent male anatomy. The feeling was building in her core, like a knot. It tingled in all the right places and it wasn't from dancing, from not existing, someone was watching. It was here…..where?

Spike backed away from the edge, he had seen enough. He was old enough to know that look in her eyes. He felt her power, her rage, and the sadness coming off of her in waves. She had that look of a slayer ready to die, but she wasn't one. He felt it, he knew it, always knew she wasn't. Tasted her blood plenty to know she wasn't.

He missed those days, when a young teenage Dawn would sit next to him and ask questions about being a vampire. She had got a paper cut once, she was 16, and she held her bleeding finger up to his mouth, begged him to taste it. She wanted to watch. He could do nothing but oblige the princess. Is that why she was now so dead inside, her eyes so vacant. What happened, was Buffy okay? He clenched his jaw, Dawn was right there….amongst those animals and enjoying it. He forced himself towards the railing, he owed it to watch her, acknowledge her. She moved so gracefully, loving the dance, he could see that much but what she was begging for in each thrusts, sway, turn, and flick of her air was danger, she wanted the predators to stalk her. "What game are you playing nibblet?" He thought about going down there, killing those boys who had their hands all over her precious body, but that would anger her; she wanted their dirty hands on her. He had to watch her, to make sure it didn't go too far.

Dawn squealed excitingly as a strong pair of hands wrapped around her hips and pulled her against his hard body. She sighed in delight feeling the cold rush off of him in waves that called to her killer. She played the innocent. "Even in this crowd you are cold...I like it." She turned her body and slid her hands up his chest, he grinned down at her, eyes holding that gleam of evil.

"I must be special." He yanked her closer as they danced. He slid his hands over her curves, feeling her warmth seep into his flesh. He sighed, the hunger building inside of him. He had watched her so many times before, he wanted her. He wanted to turn her. Drink her dry, he just didn't know. He would have to wing it.

Dawn giggled and bit her bottom lip as she danced, the music pounding its way through her soul. She had that tickling feeling someone was watching, and that urge, that pull of some familiar force was so strong. Was that the thing watching her? She couldn't be distracted, distraction got one killed and the only one, who would die, was this unsuspecting vampire in her arms.

* * *

He leaned down close and whispered in her ear, that he would love to be alone with her. Dawn merely nodded as she led the way outside and behind the warehouse. The surroundings were barren and broken. Empty crates, broken fences, she smiled thinking his ashes would mix in perfectly. She leaned back against the nearest crate, hidden from the street, form any passer bys.

He smirked and chuckled like he had some hidden information, but Dawn was more aware than him. He leaned in and kissed her, fast and hard. Dawn pulled at him, feeling the chilled aura around him caress her hot skin. She could feel his monster rising, his hunger getting lost in arousal, in need. She wrapped her arms around him and slid her foot down along the back of his leg. She mewed as she arched back exposing her neck to him.

He growled, first in such a human male tone but it turned, like day and night. His grip tightened on her arms, one slipping farther around her back keeping her steady. "I've watched you so close for weeks now."

Dawn's eyes widened, was it him? Her eyes fluttered as she felt the barest graze of his fangs on her neck. No, he wasn't dark enough, he wasn't strong enough. She didn't know him at all. He was just a fan. "Do you know who I am, stranger?"

"No, but I want to." He chuckled as he shivered pushing his groin against Dawn.

Dawn chuckled but as she went to slip the stake from her jacket when he thrust his whole body against hers. His fangs sinking fully into her neck. He missed all the major areas but she still felt her blood rushing into his mouth. She squirmed and growled back, never screaming, don't give him that much. She pulled at her sleeve but the stake was caught. He slowed his movements, lapping at the wound surprised at what he took as a pleasant reaction to his attack. She tasted so beautiful, pure energy, he was high off of this girl. He pulled back and focused his eyes. "What are you, beautiful?"

"All I want to be is a girl." She lifted her leg, acting as if she was wrapping her right leg around his waist.

"I can make you so much more." His eyes were filled with nothing but lust, but Dawn knew it was blind lust. He didn't know her, knew what had happened to her, what she did with her nights, murdered things like him. It wasn't just a job like it was for Buffy. No….she enjoyed it. She was looking for that final fight but she enjoyed watching them in pain, it lessened hers momentarily.

Dawn smirked as she ran her hands over his facial ridges. She leaned in and licked a droplet of blood from his lips. "I bet you could, too bad you never will." She moved in a blur, pulling the dagger from her boot, sliding it like butter deep into his gut. He fell back in pain, caught off guard; it wouldn't keep him away for long.

"You bitch! Was gonna turn you but now…I just wanna kill you!"

"Good, now we're on the same page." She ran forward, kicking him square in the jaw, he fell back, smacking fully into the pavement. "You all think the same."

The vampire pulled himself to his feet, eyes locked on the girl circling him. Looks were deceiving, she was a monster too. A tight little bodied monster, but one all the same. He lounged at her, hands just touching the fabric of her pants when he was yanked back, thrown a good 10 feet, he destroyed two crates with his landing. Sadly no wood penetrated his heart.

Dawn laughed, and then reality set in that it wasn't her who tossed him like a doll. She couldn't throw anyone that far. She turned her eyes to the left, standing there, panting in just rage, eyes glaring yellow, bearing down on her….."Spike?"

"Bit." He growled. He grabbed her arm and Dawn back handed him. Spike's head flew to the side, another growl.

"You aren't real!" She screamed, a blood boiling tone, she stepped back as he went to grab her again. Dawn punched him again, crouching down to sweep her leg across his ankles. He jumped back and chuckled.

"Fire, you are. For a second I thought you were Buffy then I remembered you like to be alive." Dawn's eyes blazed so pure with hatred Spike felt he had to look away.

She kept her teeth clenched tight as she spat the words at him. "You aren't real. You died."

"A couple times now yeah…." He sighed.

The younger vampire came rushing from Dawn's side and almost connected with her, when she slid the dagger across his neck. It cut at least an inch deep clear across. Spike's eyes widened. Dawn didn't flinch and didn't react farther. The younger vampire fell back, holding his throat trying to talk and growl at her, at Spike. Dark thick blood, which no human could survive within them, came bubbling out of the deep wound. Dawn yanked her jacket off, the stakes clattering to the gravel at her feet. She never broke eye contact with him as she wrapped her small hand around the stake she had picked it up and slammed it home in the vampire's heart. The crunch of his bones, and wet smack of the wound as she pulled the stake out were the only sounds before he exploded into a cloud of ash. Then all was silent as the once friends starred at each other.

"You're not slaying, Dawn. You're torturing them." He said voice calm and steady. His hands were gripped tight into fists, he could feel the dull sharp pain of his nails burying into the sot flesh of his palms. "I haven't seen anything so devilish since Angelus, and that's saying something."

"It means I'm strong, tough….I take it as a compliment." Dawn whispered, her breath refusing to level out as she watched him. "So what is this, holy intervention?"

"Holy? I'm not dead, pet. And secondly, if I was……fire licking my body all the way, heaven doesn't want vampires no matter how soul filled they are." He smirked and tilted his head. "Still wanna pummel me?"

"Maybe." Dawn sneered. She tested him, taking a step forward. Spike didn't move.

"What happened, Dawn?" His voice was filled with such anguish, it caught Dawn off guard. He was one of the good guys once upon a time and then he died. Now here he was standing before her, lecturing her. Did Buffy know he was alive? Why did no one tell her?

"I grew up."

"I can see that, beautiful thing you are, pet. But…..what happened?" His tone pleaded with the girl. His eyes searching behind her eyes, where he could see immeasurable pain and confusion dwelled.

Dawn dropped her shoulders and relaxed her body. "Life, boys…Buffy." She dropped her eyes as she whispered her sister's name. "Before you freak out…she's fine. Just destroying me with her mission." She spoke towards her boots, words spilling out covered in venom.

Spike continued to observe her as he took a few steps towards her, he could reach out and touch his little princess if he wanted. But he was afraid if he did, all the thoughts about teenage Dawn would break apart, knowing what she had turned into. "I'm sorry, nibblet." He lifted his arm slowly, hesitating and then sighing as his resolve took hold. He let his fingers fall upon her hair, feeling that though damp with sweat, it was still unnaturally soft. "I'm so sorry."

Dawn shivered and her body convulsed forward, a pain building in her stomach. She rubbed her palms across the area as she pulled back from Spike. AS the pain receded some, thankful Spike didn't comment on it, she frowned at him. "it's been you. I could feel you here…..around. I tried finding whatever it was that was pulling my mind but you were always gone before I…..now, you're here." Her voice broke as she finished talking. Where was steel toed and clawed Dawn, why did it feel like layers upon layers of skin were peeling from her body around him? "If I had known you were all here, I would have stayed away."

Spike's eyes got heavy when she said that. "Why, love? And we?"

"Angel….I saw him earlier, did his whole intervention bit already. I ran away from him."

"Gonna run away from me?"

"I want to. But, I don't think I can." She quietly said as she lowered her head again. "I hated you for leaving like you did. Leaving me alone, with Buffy…..no one cares I'm growing up, what I'm going through, I've only had me to depend upon since you died." She gulped back a wave of tears; she couldn't let herself cry, not over this. "You never let me say goodbye. You asshole."

Spike smirked and launched forward. When Dawn flinched he whispered calming words as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. Taking in the scent of her. He felt this unbelievable amount of power and energy inside her, surrounding her and it scared him but he had his Lil' Bit back, he just wanted to hold her. Dawn held her body tight, not knowing how to react. It had been a long since anyone wanted to hug her so warmly, a genuine hug and let alone by the man who had destroyed her heart, who she thought was gone forever. As these thoughts washed over her, left and crashed back into her, she started taking in deep breaths, the tears pushing their way down her cheeks. She threw her arms around his middle and her legs gave out on her. She cried all the tears for his death. Cried for all the times she had been left, drugged up and abused at parties. For all the times Buffy was gone for weeks, leaving her with nothing. Or when she came back and they had to move 500 miles away again. She cried for the pain she was feeling more and more in her body, the untamable urge to make things bleed.

Spike adjusted his hold on the broken girl. He wanted to fix her so bad. The energy coming off of her was distracting, it wasn't a nice feeling. He couldn't keep the thoughts, the questions from his mind. How does she live with that every day? As he whispered calming seat words into her ear and stroked her hair, he felt her body relax and her head slump to the side. Her warmth increased and then Spike felt it. A burst of some kind of energy, passed right through him from her. "Dawn?" it shook him to the core, it was so big, so ancient, like giant jaws were descending over Spike and he would never see anything living again.

Dawn had passed out; she was dead to the word. Her face was peaceful at last. Spike stood up fully and swung her up into his grasp, making sure she was as comfortable as she could be between his arms, he carried her home.


	4. Nothing Will Touch Me Except You 4

Okay I am.....SOOOOO happy with this chapter. Gah, I love tension filled excitement. I suspect this story will be very long, and there may be run off stories too. :D Thanks for the favoriting and reveiws, I appreciate it. Gives me confidence after being away for so long, and never writing. And now it's 4am again and I'm sure there are mistakes I just can't find. No flogging please. :P

* * *

Her mind was filled with dark and repetitive images. She would be on the ground staring up at the bright light she had ever seen, then starring down at adoring eyes. Blood coated the ground, cries of pain, pleading. The laughter between the sacrifices and the lack of remorse shown and felt coiled itself around her soul and tugged hard, trying to rip it through her chest.

She woke up in a cold sweat, the sheets around her soaked through. Her hand was grasping her chest so tightly; as she tried holding on for dear life to her clothing she realized she was naked, in a bed…alone. She let out a sigh in annoyance. She tried making sense of the room, it was completely dark, she could see the faint glow of light through huge curtains across the room but in unfamiliar territory they were too far away. She could see two doors, one was closed and the other partly open giving entrance to the bathroom, she guessed from the glow and shine of the tile peeking through. She tried remembering what happened and it all was in flashes, dark and distant. She had seen Angel, Spike….killed, felt that release of tension in destroying another undead. But something when horribly wrong and she couldn't place it. She got out of bed and wrapped the thin bed linens around herself, holding them up as high and tight as they'd go she walked over to an alcove off in the corner of the room. She reached out in the near darkness and touched soft material, hangers….a closet. She felt the articles inside. Male. Another sigh of annoyance.

She had tried hard not passing out, being drugged to the point of total black outs, getting piss drunk but apparently she lost to the battle of Robert. He was supposed to stop her; she would have to scold him once she got out of this situation. What would he do? Yell at her, for wanting to leave him without a number, for her still being in his home? She ran her hand back through her long hair hissing at the tangles, getting it out her face, it was damp…it would have to do. As she focused through the burning in her scalp from trying to manage her hair she felt that tug. Familiarity, burning, power….Spike? Was that who connected the dots last night to what she was feeling? Her eyes widened, did she sleep with him!? She started laughed and had to cover her mouth with both hands, never, that would surely never happen. She clubbed that thought from her brain. She was enthralled with the covered window, her curiosity got the better of her but her battle child reason took control. She had to know where she was, what she was facing….to survive, to fight if need be.

She walked slowly to the window and ran her hands down the top quality drapes. Black, and thick but it let through just enough light so you wouldn't slam your foot in the furniture…every time you walked by. They were warm, sunshine. A smile spread across her face as she gripped a drape in each hand, with an intake of breath she pulled them to the sides, managing to keep the blanket around her. Her breath escaped her as she saw a transparent reflection of herself. Her face was swollen, lip cut, eye bruised and part of her left eye was red from broken blood vessels. She leaned in and touched the glass, hotter still. Perfect sunshine. She gasped as she saw her neck, big vampire wound, which would for sure scar. She hissed as her fingers played over the holes. As she tilted her head to look at it the scene through her reflection cleared and became solid, no sign of Dawn images anymore. The water crashed onto an untouched beach, down below, maybe 6 stories was a quiet little sidewalk, flowers….but no people. As she examined the scene she rested her hands, flat palmed against the glass forgetting about the linens, they fell to the floor around her. She was so mesmerized, she hadn't thought about the ocean in ages. The Pacific Ocean was swaying, back and forth, she sighed as the heat of the sun warmed her cool, damp flesh. All this time back in LA and she hadn't gone to the ocean. She hunted near it, heard it but never thought to lay her eyes upon it. It was eternal and she smiled at the thought all that power would one day wash away all of mankind in its embrace.

Spike stood outside the bedroom door, eyes closed, biting his lip. He felt she had been awake for a few minutes now, her heart had quickened. She was moving around. He was expecting to hear crying to the door to shatter, something…other than…her heart slowing again. She was awake but…relaxed. He rested his hand on the wood, she wasn't one hundred percent. His other hand took hold of the door knob and turned it silently. As he let his eyes open again and adjust to the room he instantly was drawn to the swath of sunshine, cutting across the middle of the room, casting either side in darkness. AS his eyes adjusted he saw her. The outline of her body…her very grown up body. She had all the proportions and skin color of a girl who knew how to get just the right amount of sun without cooking her body. He smiled in her body, in the beauty that was born of Joyce and Buffy. He couldn't believe she hadn't noticed him. As his eyes tried to stay the admirer of natural beauty and not the lusty, there's a naked woman in my room, his eyes slid to the many cuts and bruises all over her back and legs. He pressed a foot more into the room and let the door close behind him.

* * *

Click.

Dawn spun around, eyes wide trying to adjust to the sudden harshness of dark. As they did, she first saw the glow of platinum, then the bashful embarrassed face of Spike, staring right back at her with wide eyes. Her face grew grim and she opened her mouth to say something when she saw him turn his face away suddenly. That wasn't right. When does Spike every not look…..nakedness! She covered her breasts as she bent and swiped up the linens. She wrapped them tight around her as if she was in the Arctic Circle.

"Sorry." She whispered, groaning as the sudden movements stretched muscles that did not want to move.

" 'S alright. Didn't mean to….stare…I just, caught off guard."

Dawn smirked and walked forward a step, staying in the light, confused. "Are you evil?"

"What?" Spike's face turned from bashful to confusion. "I thought we covered this, pet."

She titled her head that oddly mimicked Spike and frowned. "I don't remember. Is this a kidnap the slayer's sister thing?"

Spike snorted. "No." He said in a pitch to high. "And this has nothing to do with Buffy, Lil' Bit. This is all about you." His eyes grew heavy and tried to give her a small smile.

Dawn's eyes widened. "Oh god." Her eyes shot to the bed. Not that it would be entirely horrible, fulfilling a teenage dream of hers but now…like this….oh god. "Did we…." Her eyes shifted to the bed and her voice lowered.

Spike caught on, and swallowed. He saw she was embarrassed. "Oh Dawn…no, no we didn't." He said in his comforting voice. The same one he gave her those first 3 weeks after Buffy had died.

She looked up at him again. "Then why…."

"You passed out all over me. Thought it was because of my manly swagger but then I saw the neck, love. Following in sissy's footsteps?"

That comment rubbed Dawn entirely the wrong way. Played the wrong card, Dawn thought. She set her mouth in a tight line. "Clothes?"

Spike sighed at her avoidance of the subject, granted probably not the smartest way to approach the issue her naked, and all. "Right, uh…one sec, yours are all….dirty. They are being cleaned right now but Ill…..Fred found some temporary one's for you."

"No offence Spike but ….I wasn't planning on staying around. So dirty clothes are fine….or any and I will be out of here in a jiffy."

Spike bit the inside of his cheek. "I was hoping we could catch up on old times. I've missed my partner in crime, you know."

Dawn was remembering more flashes from last time. She was envious of Spike, he remembered the whole conversation. She was of clearer mind now, was hoping she didn't say anything that would require attention.

"Hold on now." Spike turned and opened the door just slightly. He motioned for someone Dawn couldn't see but she sure felt them. Strong, old….older than Spike but she didn't feel that energy calling to her like Spike for some reason. He mumbled something Dawn again, couldn't figure out.

"Blue, I need you to grab some of those…nice human clothes we got for you, and I need you to bring them in here."

Illyria raised her eyebrow and head.

"Don't give me that know, love. Please…."

"Very well."

"Oh wait!" Spike hissed.

Illyria turned her head towards him. "Yes William?"

"…..Can you, perhaps…be all…Winifred, she's antsy and I need her comfortable here."

Illyria sighed. "If you think it would help the situation."

Spike closed the door again and came farther in the room. "Love, you're very injured…wanna get cleaned up? If you remember I have very nurse like hands." He gave her his best cheesy smile trying to appeal to the good old memories of their times together.

She eyed him wearily but nodded. "I've been hurt worse, minimal care; don't wanna put a dent in your supplies."

"Oh come on, no one's more deserving of all our medical goodies than Dawnie." Still no smile from her.

Spike motioned to the bathroom door and Dawn walked slowly, keeping him in her view. "Love I dunno if you remember this part, but…I'm safe. I would be even without this soul." His voice lowered and his hand reached out to her but she stepped out of touch range. "Never hurt you…regardless." His eyes got watery but no tears feel. He could see the wiry, big eyed young Dawn standing before him, wounded and begging for some love. Even if it was the undead kind, he knew that he was one of the few people she trusted. Once upon a time.

Dawn jumped up on the part of the counter meant for makeup and supplies of whatever kind. She shivered as the granite, chilled her skin instantly. She bowed her head and tried keeping the discomfort from showing. Spike tsked and bent down so he could look her in the eyes. No touching, not yet. "Listen love, I know this is hard for you. But Big Bad isn't good hurt you. I'm sorry you aren't feeling well but the sooner we get this done with the sooner you can get in those nice clean clothes that are on their way."

She lifted her head and sighed. "Fine." Her body visibly shook.

Spike pulled the alcohol and gauze forward and began soaking the material thoroughly making sure to have a dry pile near. He dabbed her neck and Dawn hollered, her hand instantly shot up and iron gripped Spike's wrist. He winced, not enough to do damage but damn she was strong. "Dawn…." He growled. Dawn threw his hand back, his shoulder jarred as he corrected himself.

"Not that one. Never the bites."

His eyes narrowed as she said that, he only saw the one. He was drawn to the rustling asa fabric and looked down to see Dawn hiking the linens up, exposing most of her legs almost to expose her privates. Spike took a sharp breath of air in thinking she was gonna go farther, but she stopped then all the air left his body as he looked at the trail of marks down her thigh. Not quite on the inside of her legs, but they were intimate. He wondered if the marks were given and then she punished them like the one she saw. He remained silent and inside dropped soaked gauze onto the deep gash on her knee. She hissed and grabbed his shoulder, not to stop him but to comfort herself. He welcomed the touch. It meant she was still alive in there somewhere.

He took another one, this time rung out, he got his point across with the knee, and he lightly dabbed her face off. Her eyes watered, a tear rolling down her cheek. He didn't bother removing it. He acknowledged it, but it belonged on her face. Hello humanity.

There was a soft knock at the partly opened bathroom door and a small framed brown haired woman came in holding a pile of clothes. "Hi there, hope everything is going good in here." She smiled at Dawn as if they were friends. "Here are some nice clean clothes. Hope they fit, alright." Her drawl was slight but it was there, she wasn't Cali born. She glanced at Spike, then Dawn's wounds then her eyes. That old power, it was that woman? Dawn narrowed her eyes. "Thank you."

The woman chuckled and stepped back. "If ya'll need anything I'll be out in the kitchen. Angel should be back any minute with some food for you." She directed at Dawn. She turned to go but Dawn stood up pushing at Spike to step back, as he did, his foot stepped on the blanket and pulled it slightly…god help him away from her chest. Her small but full breasts perked at the top of the blanket not blatantly exposed but enough that would blush any sleazy dressed club goers. She didn't noticed as she touched Spike's arm to lean past him.

"What are you?"

Illyria smiled her face towards the darkness. "Intuitive."

Dawn frowned. "I'm curious…it's a curse, saying goes it kills the cat. I'm still alive, so I ask."

Spike closed his eyes. Those words stung. She was trying to die, get mixed up in things she shouldn't know about. "Dawn…" He whispered touching her bare shoulder. He could feel warm lifting from her skin, sliding into him, warming him. It was beyond human, it was irresistible. Dawn turned her head slightly and looked at him, she had felt it. The thing inside her, feed him….just like all the others, she didn't wanna cut him though. What was happening to her? Spike's eyes fluttered as she let go of Dawn, rubbing his fingertips against his palm. He looked out the door at his friend. "Don't."

Illyria turned and smiled sweetly in the guise of Fred. "I'm many things, nothing you should worry about. I am a friend of a friend." Her eyes flashed to Spike. "My name is Fred, should you need anything. But I am very picky with what I do, so chose carefully what you care my assistance for." She walked out of the bedroom.

"Noted." Dawn mumbled as she stepped back and leaned against the counter, slipping back between Spike and the granite.

Spike picked up soaked gauze and was about to place it on a scrape on her knuckles when as he picked up her hand she closed her hand against him. That warmth had returned. "I only want to help you, love." He whispered gently has he pushed hair back from her face.

Dawn grabbed the blanket with her other hand and pulled up enough to cover her fully. "I'm sorry."

He put the gauze on the bloodied area, waiting for her hiss but it never came. He looked up at her face a dull smile filled her eyes. "Never sorry, you never have anything to be sorry for."

"How about ruining the perfect picture of Dawn in your head?" She groaned and leaned forward resting her head on his shoulder; her hands going down to grab her stomach.

"Still perfect love, now what the hell is going on?" He urgently asked as he pressed himself to her as close as he could get to her in a friendly way and lifted her face, his other hand covering hers on his abdomen.

"I don't know. What I do…" She swallowed. "What you saw…makes it better." She took in shallow breaths as her eyes managed to focus. "It's passing."

"I can sure as hell feel you, pet. What mess did you into?"

At that Angel walked in, he stood at the door, eyes feeling with his concern. Dawn questioned the quality of caring though.

"I didn't do anything!" She pushed him back; Spike caught himself against the wall. She grabbed up the clothes and threw the linens to the floor; she stomped over to the shower as both vampires let out surprised sounds and covered their faces. "Oh for god sakes!" She slammed the shower curtain into the wall. Her silhouette clearly outlined as she climbed into the low rise jeans and tank top. She yanked the curtain aside and growled. "There…the baby vampires can look now, the woman is dressed."

Angel pursed his mouth as he shot a look to Spike would didn't catch it because he was so focused on Dawn. As he turned to see what had him so drawn, he saw. Just Dawn. It was a shock to see her last night, fighting, enjoying it, her strength, but he never got a chance to see that it wasn't the same Dawn package he had left in Sunnydale. She was grown up, sharing in all of Buffy's and Joyce's best attributes. He shook his head, not this again, he thought as he yanked Spike back. "Dawn we just want to help is all."

"First, I've been taking care of myself for years now, perfectly fine. Second, I am…managing my…complications, perfectly fine. Third, I am leaving. Spike was one thing but the both of you. No thanks." She took a step forward and the vampires tensed. She stopped and put a hand on her hip. "Are you afraid of me?" She smirked and a light giggle escaped her mouth. "Seriously? I thought I was little helpless Dawn." She looked in the mirror, at her perky breasts clearly pronounced in the tight top, the swell of her hips. She knew what game to play. "Or is it this." She ran her hand over her stomach and down her hips. She turned her eyes on the vampires who both played the vampire; I am stone, face to perfection. Sadly Dawn knew Spike knew to know he was fighting angry, worry and something more behind those vacant eyes. And because Angel had taught him a large part of what he knew…she could read him too. "Silly boys, you both are." She took two more steps, now merely inches from Spike, just out of arms reach was tall, Angel blocking the rest of the doorway. Her face grew cold and she flew vacant back at them. "Think I can't get past you two?" She whispered calmly.

"Don't wanna find out pet. I'm sorry Angel's presence put you off, love. But it's true, we want to help. I don't want you to be or feel alone again. We can help you solve this thing." There was such pleading in his voice. What the hell!? Wasn't he the Big Bad, hadn't he shown Dawn his authority many times before? Why the hell now is he all emotional and care bearing around the damn issues for Dawn? Fuck this. He growled and went to grab her arms to shake some sense into the girl, prove he hadn't been spending too much time with Angel. When the mach truck in the form of Dawn's fist hit him in the chin.

His head snapped back and he yelled in pain. Dawn dodged him as Angel pushed him forward, trying to knock Dawn down. She jumped partially onto the counter, sending the cleaning stuff flying, alcohol splashed all over her arms and she hollered in pain, as she grabbed her arm, Angel stepped towards her. "Dawn, stop!" Dawn drew her legs up to her chest and as Angel went to touch her, she pushed her legs forward with all the power inside her. He went flying across the room, directly in the sun, with a vampiric howl he rolled out into the safety of the dark. She felt Spike climbing to his feet behind her. She turned and smiled. "No one touches me but you."

Spike was caught off guard at the vulnerability in her voice but then she pushed up with her hands against his chest sending up back into the tiled tub, where he hit his head against the faucets. Spike was far from knocked up but he sure was dazed. Dawn turned her attention back to the taller vampire. She marched out of the bathroom and grabbed a cowering Angel by the collar of his leather jacket. She pulled him up. She touched his wrist with her other hand and waited.

He didn't fight her, didn't want hurt her, he would see where this would go. The hand near his throat wasn't an issue, but he started to worry about the other when all she did was touch his skin and stare at her. "Dawn…please."

She braced herself and waited, the feeling was there, she could feel it lapping at him, it didn't want him not in that way. It wanted blood. It pushed forward felt it penetrate his skin.

Angel sighed and looked at his arm then at Dawn. "Magic." He whispered, trying to make it a question but his voice was escaping him. It was enthralling. But he could see it all inside her, there was darkness unattainable. He wasn't worthy of it. It was beautiful regardless.

She let him go and he instantly pulled his wrist away, glaring down at her. "No. Just me." She went to turn but stopped. "I only touch when I wanna touch, but no one lays a hand on me otherwise." She whispered in a controlled voice. When she turned, a warm hand grabbed her around the throat and lifted her from the floor. It was that woman with the drawl in her soft voice. But that was melting, there was blue, there was pale, there was leather. Pure fighting machine.

"Do I make the exception?" She said in an unemotional voice. Were Dawn clocked out her feelings, this being barely had any, at least when it came to this situation. "I do not you, but I do not like it when others beat around my…friends, when I prefer, myself doing that."

"BLUE! Put the girl down. NOW!" Spike coughed as he stumbled to the doorway and grabbed it to stay up. "Let her go. Please…for me, she isn't gonna do anything. Right Dawn."

Dawn felt the pressure on her neck tighten to, death emanate level. She grabbed the hand, no connection. Whatever she was threw the feelings back onto Dawn.

"Silly girl, I do not care to see home videos of my past. I have plenty to keep me company of a millennium."

Angel's eyes shot up at Illyria with that statement. Dawn's eyes went wide and she nodded as best she could as she looked past the demon woman to Spike. Illryia let down Dawn, so her bare feet pushed into the plush carpet. She released her then walked to Angel.

"I trust this is a wise decision?"

Angel remained silent.

Spike walked forward, feeling safe by Dawn's comment he walked up to her. "Love, please now…."

Dawn's eyes flickered around the room watery, taking an all too familiar Buffy expression that pained Spike deep into his soul that it broke through to the other side and torn itself a new hole as it climbed back up to his throat. "I want to go home."

"I'll take you, pet, if you promise not the run away from me."

Dawn nodded and stood still looking at nothing in particular.

Angel sighed and looked past the woman who had changed all his thoughts about little Dawnie in less than two minutes, to his Childe. "Take the car. Take as long as you like. Her things are by the door."

"Shoes." Dawn whimpered, her hands caressing the red marks on her neck from Illyria.

"We'll get them for you, love come on."

"I want to walk, no cars."

" 'right then." Spike led Dawn out of the room with a last look at his comrades.

Angel turned to Illyria and sighed. "What the hell is that!? What the hell just happened!?"

Illyria tilted her head in a quizzical nature at the door Dawn and Spike had walked through. "I believe I just met an old friend of sorts." She looked up at Angel with a comforting, or as best she could manage her face muscles to make into a comforting look, and calmed patted his shoulder. "I agree with Spike. I don't believe she much of a danger to others, only to herself."

Angel ran his thumb over his bottom lip as he looked out the window. "How do we stop that?"

Illyria raised her head and let out a sigh. "I will look into it."

"You said something about your world. Dawn was showing you things."

"Trying to. She has strength but nothing compared to I. She wasn't human always, was she?"

"No." Angel muttered as he torn his gaze from the water to stare back into the familiar darkness with a demon goddess analyzing him.

"I may have some answers, but none I will share yet. Patience." With that she strolled out of the room and disappeared to do whatever she normally did when they didn't go patrolling or had a specific job.

* * *

When Angel walked out to the entry way he found only the scent of Dawn and Spike had remained. He hoped the boy would do right by Dawn. And his nurturing feelings wouldn't make him another challenge in case things went south.


	5. Updates Annoucement

Hi all, sorry for the delay in updates on ALL stories. Life's been busy but I think I will have some more time to commit to them now. I'm excited to update though things in real life have been difficult my mind is always running with new ideas and plots. I try to keep up in my head how all the characters talk and their personalities, plus how each story has a unique atmosphere and how I want the story to ddevelop, so hopefully in the coming updates it won't lose any of that Buffyverse uniqueness.

Upon my successful upload of my updates, this small snippet will be deleted from the stories Chapters list so you have an undiluted transition from chapter to chapter.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer and are prepared for the awesome slap of Spike, Dawn, and Buffy rowdyness that is my stories.

I own nothing presented in any chapters accept the plots and original characters not presented in the original shows. This is all done in mere enjoyment and desperate need to get my BTVS/ANGEL:TS fix. No offence is meant, though adult themes are considered and used…but I try to keep on a classy level.

I send many sorries for all typos and "weird" sentences, as much as I try spell and grammar fix things, some escape me. Some of you seem to be intensely bothered by them, and as this is for fun for me, I don't review it like I have OCD lol. But I do try to keep it readable.

One comment though story based is…..My favorite pairing is Spike and Buffy. And not for the rampant scary fun sex that was Season 6. Though that was fun to watch…..*comes back to reality*….I like the whole feeling of despair and need to find happiness in any form possible, even if it destroys you in the end. I love the growth and the rock bottom most of the characters hit too. So when I say "Spike/Dawn, with Buffy….does this mean Spawn…..not always….does this mean Spuffy….not always…..can't it just sometimes mean, main interaction in the story? Lol I'm not just gonna put bonking in, cuz you crave it. Theres like 3000+ stories already on this site dedicated to the carnal pleasures of BTVS.

Keep in touch eyes and hands…love to see what you think of the coming chapters once I get them up. Enjoy life and summer and I hope you find joy in reading my stories as much as I love writing them. 3

Bunnii.


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